Industrialization, eco-friendliness and digitalization processes highlighted

Zhanjiang-based Zhongke (Guangdong) Refinery and Petrochemical reported an output value of 80.6 billion yuan ($12.8 billion) in 2021, bringing the total output value of the local green petrochemical industrial cluster to over 100 billion yuan－the first industrial cluster in the city to reach the milestone.

Zhanjiang, a port city in the southern province of Guangdong, boasts the Donghai Island Petrochemical Industrial Park and major players in the petrochemical sector including China National Offshore Oil Corporation and the BASF Group.

As a core area for the petrochemical industry, as highlighted in Guangdong's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), Zhanjiang has been working to perfect its petrochemical industrial chain.

Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong province, boasts an appealing environment. CHINA DAILY

This year, Zhanjiang will put in place a new mechanism for managing industrial chains and clusters. Known as the "chain chief system", the new mechanism is expected to help complete, extend and strengthen industrial chains and advance the development of sectors along the chain.

In recent years, Zhanjiang has been ramping up efforts to build a modern industrial system. It is currently home to four industrial projects involving an investment of over $10 billion each. A slew of Fortune 500 companies, such as Dow and Air Liquide, have set up operations in the city.

"Zhanjiang is making every effort to grow into a provincial subcenter and has expedited the building of a modern coastal economic belt," Liu Hongbing, Party secretary of Zhanjiang, told local media.

"Based on Zhanjiang's actualities, we have put forward the concept of a deep integration of the city's industrialization, ecological development and digitalization processes," Liu said.

According to a government work report delivered by Zhanjiang Mayor Zeng Jinze on Jan 9, the city has set its GDP growth target for 2022 at about 6.5 percent.

Port-related industries, the digital economy, modern services and infrastructure are among the priorities for Zhanjiang this year, according to the report.

The city will support Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron and Steel in getting its hydrogen-based shaft furnace project off the ground. Construction on the BASF integration project and the Lianjiang clean energy project has commenced.

In 2022, the city will step up the development of industrial clusters in five advanced manufacturing sectors, which are green steel, green petrochemicals, high-end papermaking, green energy and new energy vehicles.

On the digital front, Zhanjiang will push forward the construction of the West Guangdong digital valley, a big data industrial park, and create an enabling environment for new industries including the industrial internet and the internet of things.

Engineers use digital technologies to monitor operations at Zhongke (Guangdong) Refinery and Petrochemical project in Zhanjiang. ZHANG FENGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The city plans to support 70 manufacturing companies in going digital this year, according to the local government.

To boost the modern services sector, Zhanjiang will push forward the construction of tourist attractions such as the Mazhang Mangrove theme park and the Capital of Seafood industrial complex.

Support will also be directed to the modern finance sector, with green finance, digital finance and cross-border finance among the areas highlighted in the city's development plans for 2022.

Construction on a number of port infrastructure projects will kick off in 2022. They include a channel project in the Donghai Island port area and supporting wharves for the BASF integration project.

Zhanjiang made steady progress in the aspects in 2021, when the city's industrial parks generated a combined output value of 220 billion yuan, according to local officials.

In 2021, the first phase of a Zhongke (Guangdong) Refinery and Petrochemical integration project reached its design capacity, and the third blast furnace system at the Baosteel Zhanjiang Iron and Steel went into operation.

Last year, the city saw the addition of 3,627 5G base stations, extending the 5G network to every town in the city.